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Lots of cat dreams recently, which pushed me to re-read Von Franz's book on the Cat. I tend to go with personal associations and then amplification. However, I was reading about how, given that we seem to be on the cusp of a sixth mass extinction, animals are finding their way into our dreams as a matter of urgency, which was interesting and v moving. It was a chapter in a book on ecopsychology but I can't recall its title at the moment.

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I think personal associations first then to amplification is smart. It can be easy to jump to more broad definitions, losing the personal flavor (it is after all our dream symbol!).

What do you think the cat represents for you?

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a call to the feral!

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Ohh, I like that! I recently had a dream of cats, which is really quite unusual for me. I dream most of dogs, wolves. Interestingly, the dream came the night before a very serious event and I think there is something to the feral quality that was important to the experience that was about to come. I have some reflecting to do on this!

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I dream with cats a lot 😅

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What does it mean for you?

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I loved this article! I often work with archetypal herbalism and there is a plant (the Oshá or Chuchupaste here in Mexico) that has been showing me the medicine of the bear. I agree with you that something of the Great Mother emerges through this animal. Curiously, Osha is the first plant that bears consume when they come out of hibernation. thanks for your work

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What an interesting connection! Are there any particular ways you are working further with the bear/Great Mother?

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Especially through meditation and active imagination with the spagyric tincture of Oshá. For several months last year, it helped me a lot in connecting with dissociated emotions related to my motherhood. It was intense and beautiful. In my experience, connecting with the Feminine always involves a degree of sacrifice. The Dark Goddess that Marion Woodman talks about, for example, comes to mind... Hugs, happy to read you!

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Love that insight, and I totally agree. The many faces of the Goddess are present even when we aren't fully aware.

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Thanks for sharing this Alyssa. I started to write about my dreams in a journal so this topic is still fairly new to me. I appreciate the insights and the nuance to keep digging and find the meaning my dreams are giving to me.

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How is it going so far?

Here are other of my posts on dreams if you're looking for more resources: https://www.theartemisian.com/t/dreams

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